With the Sochi Games a mere 14 months away, some of the top Olympics snow sports athletes are in Breckenridge, Colo. for the Dew Tour this week to start preparing their runs for the world’s biggest stage. Here are four events you shouldn’t miss on Thursday. (And don’t worry, you can catch them from your work desk here on NBCSports.com)
Men’s Freeski Superpipe Semi-Final (10 a.m.)
Kevin Rolland has been the undisputed champ of the pipe over the past few years, winning gold at the 2010 and 2011 X-Games and sweeping the 2011 Dew tour. The 23-year-old Frenchman was also an ambassador for the 2012 Innsbruck Youth Olympics, mentoring younger athletes along with Lindsey Vonn.

Defending X-Games champion David Wise and 2010 Breckenridge winner Simon Dumont were set to headline the American contingent. The latter underwent wrist surgery Wednesday after suffering an injury in practice and will not compete. Gus Kenworthy, Tucker Perkins and Tanner Hall are three other Americans to watch.

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Semi-Final (Noon)
Lake Tahoe native Jamie Anderson staked her claim as the best American slopstyle rider by winning three events in 2012, including gold at the X Games. Still just 22, she has a good chance of making it to Sochi.

Canadian Spencer O’Brien won the Dew Tour event in 2012 and is looking to repeat this season. Great Britain’s Jenny Jones and Finland’s Enni Rukajarvi are names you’ll likely hear again come 2014.

Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Semi-Finals (2:30 p.m.)
Shaun White, Louie Vito, and Scotty Lago – the three top names in the sport – are all set to compete at Dew Tour. Joining the American trio will be the Mitriani brothers (Luke and Jack) and California native Greg Bretz.

Switzerland’s Iouri Podladtchikov – the 24-year-old who has two X Games silver medals to his name – enters Dew Tour 2012 as a legitimate podium threat. Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen should also be in the mix. Kohei Kudo and Kazuhiro Kokubo each give the Japanese an outside shot at making the top 3.

Men’s Freeski Big Air Finals (5:30 p.m.)
Nick Goepper is a name to stash in the back pocket. The Lawrenceburg, Ind. native has been a consistent slopestyle skier since 2011, and at just 18, has plenty of room for growth. Tom Wallisch, 25, has struggled in the past during Big Air (similar to aerials), but will be one to watch in anticipation of the slopestyle event.

The favorite here should be Breckenridge native Bobby Brown, who has two X-Games gold medals to his name. Look for the 21-year-old to put on a show in front of his hometown crowd.